O Come All Ye Faithful (IC)

[Estado Novo Portugues]

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Day 1 (December 24)
Time: Afternoon

Expo Square

A massive Christmas tree towered over the square. Several soldiers in uniform were laboring over it, using ladders to reach the higher branches so that they could hang lights and decorations.

It was the day before Christmas. For most people, this was a day to stay home from work and do some shopping, spend time with relatives, or simply relax at home. But for one young man, this day did not mean anything at all. In fact, it just reminded him even more of what a failure he was—specifically, what a failure his peers and compatriots had judged him to be.

Adolfo Santos was a 20-year-old conscript in the Portuguese Army. But why exactly would he be ashamed by that—surely it'd be an honor to serve one's nation, no? Well, it certainly wasn't in Portugal. Although military service was supposed to be mandatory for all men, in practice there were multiple reasons that one could get excused from the draft: studying in a university or seminary, having family relatives in government positions, being an only son. Or alternatively, anybody could get out of military service by paying a fee.

But none of those were an option for Santos, who'd gotten the short straw in everything. He was born to a large family of five boys, so that ruled out being an only child. His home was a horse farm in the middle of God-knows-where, so tough luck being well-connected. His brain wasn't made to learn anything other than scrubbing stables, so forget about higher education. And his family was practically running on fumes when it came to finances, so bailing him was out of the question. In short, he was poor, dumb and a nobody—exactly the prime candidate for the Portuguese draft boards. And to top it off, he had to wear a uniform with the word "conscript" on his back, for the world to see.

At the Expo Park, Santos and his fellow platoon of conscripts had been assigned the duty of setting up decorations, in preparation for the Christmas Fair which was to begin in the evening. Right now, he had just finished hanging a bunch of snowflake-shaped ornaments on the big Christmas tree. He climbed down his ladder to admire his own work. Those snowflakes are quite nice, he thought. If only we had real snow here. Santos knew that it would be a green Christmas again this year—it hardly ever snowed in Portugal. He'd always wanted to go somewhere where there was snow, but he was way too broke for a vacation. So for now, he could only keep on dreaming. Santos imagined himself as a handsome skier rushing down the Alps, his hair flying in the wind. Still staring up at the Christmas tree, he was so immersed in his little daydream that he didn't notice the black Luso Grande Lisboa pulling up behind him. A man, also wearing a military uniform, stepped out of the car. "Private Santos!" he barked.

This startled Santos and snapped him out of his trance. He quickly spun around to see who it was, and was horrified to realize that it was his superior. Sergeant Carlos Pereira was a badass soldier that one did not want to mess with. A stickler for rules and discipline, Pereira frequently gave out whippings and push-ups for the smallest of mistakes, earning him the nickname "the Punisher". Now, he was standing face-to-face with the poor frightened Santos. "Salve Salazar!" greeted the private nervously, raising his right arm in a Roman salute. He was shaking with fear, at the thought of the ass-chewing he was about to receive from his sergeant.

But today, Pereira wasn't his usual self. His usual cold angry expression was replaced with a friendly smile. In fact, he looked genuinely happy, perhaps as the result of getting bitten by the Christmas bug. "Come here, my boy," he said. "I've brought something special just for you." Hesitantly, Santos stepped forward, not sure if the sergeant was playing a trick on him. But it wasn't a trick at all. Pereira reached into his car and produced a small wooden box from the passenger seat. "Go ahead and open it," he encouraged. Santos took the box and slowly opened it. Inside were five fine cigars—just what he wanted! The private was speechless. All this time, he'd thought his sergeant had absolutely hated his guts. So what Pereira did for him was the biggest surprise. "Thank you, Sergeant," he finally said. "No need to mention it. Merry Christmas, Private!" Pereira then got back in his car and drove off.

All of a sudden, Santos didn't feel so bad about being a conscript. In fact, thanks to the Christmas gift from his sergeant, he realized that others really cared about him and had his back. For the first time, he actually enjoyed being in the army. Armed with his new burning desire, he worked twice as fast putting up the Christmas lights and decorations. And in no time, the place was ready to welcome visitors for the Fair.

As the finishing touches were being put on, a nearby formation of police officers was getting briefed by their commander. This event was going to be attended by many people, including possibly foreign celebrities and dignitaries, so it was absolutely critical that no corners be cut on security. High-powered video cameras watched over every last square centimeter of the place, while unmanned surveillance drones circled the skies above. Steel barriers were placed around the perimeter to keep out unauthorized vehicles, and sniffer dogs were deployed to screen for weapons and explosives. A temporary hospital tent was set up to deal with any medical emergencies.

At 15:00, the gates of the Expo Park were opened up to the public. The Christmas Fair had officially started.

[The Selkie]

Tyran Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork.
What else could a 52-years-old father and widower ask for other then having two beautiful and successful daughters? Visiting a foreign festival with them as we made a little tour of the world. Tomorrow afternoon, we would depart Portugal for another country.
That we were here, at the entrance to the Christmas Expo, was more of a coincidence, as the hint at the fair was delivered to us as Marla, my younger daughter, was Ambassador of the Selkie, representative of our people abroad as part of an Ambassador Group, and thus worked for the Foreign Office, which had noted the invitation.
We had pushed in the trip to Portugal on a whim and, judging by the Christmas Tree, we were not disappointed.
My daughters and I were Selkie-Pagans, though, so we had no idea about Christianity or traditions when celebrating the festival. Well, one part of traveling to foreign lands was to learn about them, was it not?
Yet, one could also say, that we stuck out like sore thumbs, as all three of us were dressed in Geansai, all three of us wearing Cork's, our Tribe's, Orange and Blue. Marla was a Servant to Carman Fea, so she would be allowed to wear her White and Red, but out of respect for the nation, which we were in, we did decide against it.
Or rather, she did. "Diplomacy.", as she had said.
That did not stop her from putting an eagle feather, of a Red-White Eagle, with a silver clip into her long, blue hair.
Her blue eyes sparkled as she took in the sights, as did Gwen's, her older sister's. Both were a few years apart, Gwen with softer features, more mature, while Marla was, like me, a bit hard in the face, a swordswoman and very good at it, on the best way to become a Swordmaster herself.
A few months ago, she had helped me with the examination of a prospecitve Swordmaster, who had won - indeed, Llywid Blaidd had won, but only after the weapon's swap, in the second round. The ancient Spiorad had acknowledged Marla's skills and capabilities, which made me especially proud.
Gwen, on the other hand, had starred in several successful movies as of late, and still did her VA-work for the animated TV-show Marla, as a wise Star Lynx. And she was engaged in Gníomhaire Inneall, her speaking a role in the animated version of a series of radio dramas, which I had followed, when I was a kid.
She wouldn't tell me, what she was doing there, though.
As it was, the gates were just opened and the three of us, approached said gates - it promised to be an exciting afternoon! Though, as I spotted the many police officers, the local authorities weren't taking any chances when it came to security...
I had heard, that the Kyrenaian Christians wished each other a Peaceful Christmas - I hoped, that this would be one.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

ESTADO NOVO-LISBON-EXPO PARK
ANNEMARIE VON HOHENZOLLERN-JAGIELLON
24/12/19

"A pilgrim in an unholy land." Annemarie muttered to herself. She then blinked twice and slapped herself awake.
What the hell had she just said?

In any case...
Annemarie checked her wristwatch. It had been several hours since she had taken off from Chopin International, at least three since landing. She would stay here until it ended, and then return home with the company of riflemen from the 1st Greater Polish Infantry Regiment, before taking a train from Gniezo to Warsaw. She also could not expect any sort of immediate backup if she got in trouble, since said company was barred from even taking their ceremonial G98 rifles, or even their FB Vis sidearms. It would take several hours, at least, if she was arrested, for Prussia-Poland's displeasure(in the form of a flight of Tu-95 strategic bombers) to scramble, fuel, and reach Portuguese airspace.

With that in mind, she stepped into through the gate as it opened. She had packed her school uniform, of course-a white button shirt and a skirt that went well past her knees. So there was no danger of being dress-coded, at least...

[Estado Novo Portugues]

Tyran Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork.
What else could a 52-years-old father and widower ask for other then having two beautiful and successful daughters? Visiting a foreign festival with them as we made a little tour of the world. Tomorrow afternoon, we would depart Portugal for another country.
That we were here, at the entrance to the Christmas Expo, was more of a coincidence, as the hint at the fair was delivered to us as Marla, my younger daughter, was Ambassador of the Selkie, representative of our people abroad as part of an Ambassador Group, and thus worked for the Foreign Office, which had noted the invitation.
We had pushed in the trip to Portugal on a whim and, judging by the Christmas Tree, we were not disappointed.
My daughters and I were Selkie-Pagans, though, so we had no idea about Christianity or traditions when celebrating the festival. Well, one part of traveling to foreign lands was to learn about them, was it not?
Yet, one could also say, that we stuck out like sore thumbs, as all three of us were dressed in Geansai, all three of us wearing Cork's, our Tribe's, Orange and Blue. Marla was a Servant to Carman Fea, so she would be allowed to wear her White and Red, but out of respect for the nation, which we were in, we did decide against it.
Or rather, she did. "Diplomacy.", as she had said.
That did not stop her from putting an eagle feather, of a Red-White Eagle, with a silver clip into her long, blue hair.
Her blue eyes sparkled as she took in the sights, as did Gwen's, her older sister's. Both were a few years apart, Gwen with softer features, more mature, while Marla was, like me, a bit hard in the face, a swordswoman and very good at it, on the best way to become a Swordmaster herself.
A few months ago, she had helped me with the examination of a prospecitve Swordmaster, who had won - indeed, Llywid Blaidd had won, but only after the weapon's swap, in the second round. The ancient Spiorad had acknowledged Marla's skills and capabilities, which made me especially proud.
Gwen, on the other hand, had starred in several successful movies as of late, and still did her VA-work for the animated TV-show Marla, as a wise Star Lynx. And she was engaged in Gníomhaire Inneall, her speaking a role in the animated version of a series of radio dramas, which I had followed, when I was a kid.
She wouldn't tell me, what she was doing there, though.
As it was, the gates were just opened and the three of us, approached said gates - it promised to be an exciting afternoon! Though, as I spotted the many police officers, the local authorities weren't taking any chances when it came to security...
I had heard, that the Kyrenaian Christians wished each other a Peaceful Christmas - I hoped, that this would be one.

Juliana & Olívia Fernandes, Expo Square

Perhaps looking equally out-of-place as the three Selkie, were two schoolgirls: Juliana (17), and her little sister Olívia (16). Dressed in their frilly black-and-white school uniforms, which more resembled maid outfits, there was no doubt that the two attended the Cerejeira Institute for Noble Maidens, a traditional "finishing school" for young women. Although such academies had gone out of fashion elsewhere in the world, they were very well alive and thriving in Portugal, thanks to the traditionalist Catholic government's strong emphasis on good manners and social graces. Because higher education and politics were only open to men, the hospitality industry (hotels, dining and domestic work) was the most desired field of work for Portuguese women, and those jobs required knowledge of proper etiquette.

The Cerejeira Institute was the most prestigious and well-known of the nation's finishing schools. Being state-run, tuition at Cerejeira was completely free, and meals and accommodation were all included. So as you can imagine, the admission process was extremely selective, with only 25 students admitted each year. Students also had to follow many strict rules, for which small infractions could disqualify them from the program. One such rule was the requirement to wear the uniform at all times and keep it clean, even if you were off school property. The chance of getting caught without a uniform at this Christmas Fair was pretty slim, as none of the teachers went. But potential expulsion was not a risk that Juliana and Olívia were willing to take, so reluctantly they wore their full Cerejeira attire, complete with white gloves.

As soon as they wandered into the Expo Square, Juliana and Olívia noticed the three Selkie all dressed in their Geansai. As this was completely foreign to them, the girls decided to approach the foreigners and get to know them better. In addition, it would be an opportunity to practice their English conversational skills. Juliana, the older of the two, walked up to the trio and gave a polite curtsy, with Olívia doing the same. "Good afternoon, sir and ladies," she said in a near-perfect British English accent. "My name is Juliana, and this is my sister Olívia. We go to Cerejeira Institute. Welcome to my country. I'd sure love to know more about you and your country. Do you celebrate Christmas at home?"

ESTADO NOVO-LISBON-EXPO PARK
ANNEMARIE VON HOHENZOLLERN-JAGIELLON
24/12/19

"A pilgrim in an unholy land." Annemarie muttered to herself. She then blinked twice and slapped herself awake.
What the hell had she just said?

In any case...
Annemarie checked her wristwatch. It had been several hours since she had taken off from Chopin International, at least three since landing. She would stay here until it ended, and then return home with the company of riflemen from the 1st Greater Polish Infantry Regiment, before taking a train from Gniezo to Warsaw. She also could not expect any sort of immediate backup if she got in trouble, since said company was barred from even taking their ceremonial G98 rifles, or even their FB Vis sidearms. It would take several hours, at least, if she was arrested, for Prussia-Poland's displeasure(in the form of a flight of Tu-95 strategic bombers) to scramble, fuel, and reach Portuguese airspace.

With that in mind, she stepped into through the gate as it opened. She had packed her school uniform, of course-a white button shirt and a skirt that went well past her knees. So there was no danger of being dress-coded, at least...

Adolfo Santos & Carlos Pereira, Expo Square

Having done his work in setting up the Expo Park, Adolfo Santos was finally rewarded for his labor. He and the rest of the conscripts would be allowed to have the next two weeks off to enjoy the Fair. With him was his sergeant Carlos Pereira. Although Pereira was known for being a hard-ass to his men, he had somewhat developed a soft spot for Santos, perhaps out of sympathy for the young man's poor background. Now, the sergeant and private were standing together, chatting and smoking like buddies—something that was once unimaginable in the Portuguese Army. But such was the magic of Christmas.

Suddenly, a young woman walked in front of them. Not known to them, she was Annemarie von Hohenzollern–Jagiełłon, a Prussian-Polish royal. Still, she looked foreign, and Santos always wanted to meet a foreigner. He was interested to know what they thought of Portugal, its government and its customs. Determined to make a good first impression, he stood up straight and gave a crisp Roman salute as he greeted the lady. "Welcome to Portugal, senhora! Merry Christmas!" Pereira also gave a salute and nodded. "Greetings, madam. We're from the Portuguese Army. I'm Sergeant Carlos Pereira, and this is Private Adolfo Santos. We'd be happy to tell you about our country."

[The Selkie]

Juliana & Olívia Fernandes, Expo Square

Perhaps looking equally out-of-place as the three Selkie, were two schoolgirls: Juliana (17), and her little sister Olívia (16). Dressed in their frilly black-and-white school uniforms, which more resembled maid outfits, there was no doubt that the two attended the Cerejeira Institute for Noble Maidens, a traditional "finishing school" for young women. Although such academies had gone out of fashion elsewhere in the world, they were very well alive and thriving in Portugal, thanks to the traditionalist Catholic government's strong emphasis on good manners and social graces. Because higher education and politics were only open to men, the hospitality industry (hotels, dining and domestic work) was the most desired field of work for Portuguese women, and those jobs required knowledge of proper etiquette.

The Cerejeira Institute was the most prestigious and well-known of the nation's finishing schools. Being state-run, tuition at Cerejeira was completely free, and meals and accommodation were all included. So as you can imagine, the admission process was extremely selective, with only 25 students admitted each year. Students also had to follow many strict rules, for which small infractions could disqualify them from the program. One such rule was the requirement to wear the uniform at all times and keep it clean, even if you were off school property. The chance of getting caught without a uniform at this Christmas Fair was pretty slim, as none of the teachers went. But potential expulsion was not a risk that Juliana and Olívia were willing to take, so reluctantly they wore their full Cerejeira attire, complete with white gloves.

As soon as they wandered into the Expo Square, Juliana and Olívia noticed the three Selkie all dressed in their Geansai. As this was completely foreign to them, the girls decided to approach the foreigners and get to know them better. In addition, it would be an opportunity to practice their English conversational skills. Juliana, the older of the two, walked up to the trio and gave a polite curtsy, with Olívia doing the same. "Good afternoon, sir and ladies," she said in a near-perfect British English accent. "My name is Juliana, and this is my sister Olívia. We go to Cerejeira Institute. Welcome to my country. I'd sure love to know more about you and your country. Do you celebrate Christmas at home?"
[...]

Tyran Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork.
The two, I was tempted to say, maids approached us, I did not spot them until the two curtsied in front of us and introduced themselves, as well as the older speaking of her curiosity about us and the Free Lands.
Their English was very good.
To be honest, Juliana and Olívia were cute. Were I three decades younger, I would make a pass at them - as I was in my mid-fifties, I would leave the first step to the ladies, if they were interested.
I bowed my head and my daughters did the same.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Juliana, Miss Olívia.", I said, trying to imitate how they pronounced their names as I bowed my head lightly in a gesture of respect. My English carried a bit of an accent, the melodic cadence, rolling Rs and dropped vowels, which were typical-Selkie. "I am Tyran, these two are my daughters, Marla..."
The one with the feather in her hair smiled. "Hi.", she greeted.
"...and Gwen.", I finished.
My other daughter, a born actress, returned the curtsy. "Hello, Miss Juliana, Miss Olívia.", she said.
That done, I smiled a bit sheepish. "I am afraid, though, that we don't celebrate Christmas back home.", I admitted, motioned to the fair, "This is all a bit new to us."

[Svadyetsk]

Outside the Expo Park

'Right. I want no trouble from any of you.' Leonid Dmitrov, the director and head conductor of the Combined Army, Guards and Police National Choir and Musical Performance Ensemble addressed the massed ranks of the assorted performers, ranging from musicians and choir members to the soloists. The group's appearance was varied, given that they weren't performing immediately. All of them were in uniform, ranging from work-wear and battle fatigues, from the green patterns of the regular army to the blueish colours favoured by the People's Revolutionary Guards Corps, from the brown shirts and black trousers of the policemen to the fatigue trousers and telnyashkas of the navy's working outfit, to full dress uniform which came in dark green for the army and PRGC and black for the navy. In keeping with the requirements of the Portuguese government, hat badges as well as the red star pins from the standard issue pilotka had been removed. The hammer and sickle insignia found on the regulation battledress had been temporarily covered with sewn cloth patches.

Leonid, who often referred to himself as Leon when dealing with Westerners, continued issuing his instructions. 'Anyone found to be in an intoxicated state will be disciplined. Avoid causing any scene which could have a negative effect on our diplomacy with other nations. Outside of that, try to enjoy yourselves. This is, after all, Christmas.'

One of the performers, a PRGC guardsman in battledress, spoke up. 'Comrade Leonid, I thought we didn't celebrate Christmas?'

Leonid thought for a moment. 'We give our loved ones gifts at this time, do we not? We do have a holiday, even if we don't celebrate the religious side of things.' He paused. 'Fall out.'

The assorted members of Svadyetsk's military and judicial forces began to disperse into groups.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

Adolfo Santos & Carlos Pereira, Expo Square

Having done his work in setting up the Expo Park, Adolfo Santos was finally rewarded for his labor. He and the rest of the conscripts would be allowed to have the next two weeks off to enjoy the Fair. With him was his sergeant Carlos Pereira. Although Pereira was known for being a hard-ass to his men, he had somewhat developed a soft spot for Santos, perhaps out of sympathy for the young man's poor background. Now, the sergeant and private were standing together, chatting and smoking like buddies—something that was once unimaginable in the Portuguese Army. But such was the magic of Christmas.

Suddenly, a young woman walked in front of them. Not known to them, she was Annemarie von Hohenzollern–Jagiełłon, a Prussian-Polish royal. Still, she looked foreign, and Santos always wanted to meet a foreigner. He was interested to know what they thought of Portugal, its government and its customs. Determined to make a good first impression, he stood up straight and gave a crisp Roman salute as he greeted the lady. "Welcome to Portugal, senhora! Merry Christmas!" Pereira also gave a salute and nodded. "Greetings, madam. We're from the Portuguese Army. I'm Sergeant Carlos Pereira, and this is Private Adolfo Santos. We'd be happy to tell you about our country."

She had spotted the soldiers long before they had her, of course. Soldiers were an interesting lot...her brother was one, and he had seemed mostly just tired when coming home from Iraq. He quite a wealth of stories too...although he seemed to have some trouble sleeping now.
Annemarie nodded and smiled. "Good evening...my name is Annemarie. First time here...How are you both tonight?"

[Svadyetsk]

As the group drifted apart, Leonid wandered off in search of someone who could point him to the organisers of the festivities so that he could figure out when they were meant to be performing.

The rest of the Svadyetskan contingent splintered into small groups of friends, usually based around squads, for the infantry based army and PRGC, or assigned postings, for the policemen and navy troops. Vassili Sokolov found himself in a group with several of his comrades as well as Yuri, a policeman from Duovograd who didn't have any of his work colleagues to buddy up with. The brown police uniform didn't stick out too badly among Vassili and those of the group who had dress uniforms. The contrast was more apparent if Yuri stood next to anyone who had opted for the camouflage fatigues. Still, Vassili couldn't see why the ment couldn't tag along. Socialist fraternity and all that. Or whatever the thing that Comrade Boris, the political officer, kept banging on about.

[Estado Novo Portugues]

Tyran Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork.
The two, I was tempted to say, maids approached us, I did not spot them until the two curtsied in front of us and introduced themselves, as well as the older speaking of her curiosity about us and the Free Lands.
Their English was very good.
To be honest, Juliana and Olívia were cute. Were I three decades younger, I would make a pass at them - as I was in my mid-fifties, I would leave the first step to the ladies, if they were interested.
I bowed my head and my daughters did the same.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Juliana, Miss Olívia.", I said, trying to imitate how they pronounced their names as I bowed my head lightly in a gesture of respect. My English carried a bit of an accent, the melodic cadence, rolling Rs and dropped vowels, which were typical-Selkie. "I am Tyran, these two are my daughters, Marla..."
The one with the feather in her hair smiled. "Hi.", she greeted.
"...and Gwen.", I finished.
My other daughter, a born actress, returned the curtsy. "Hello, Miss Juliana, Miss Olívia.", she said.
That done, I smiled a bit sheepish. "I am afraid, though, that we don't celebrate Christmas back home.", I admitted, motioned to the fair, "This is all a bit new to us."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," replied Juliana. "No worries sir, it's our first time coming to the Fair as well. Would you and your two lovely ladies like to join us? We're going to the market which is right over there, to grab a bite to eat." Juliana pointed to the large white pavilion which was located right next to the Expo Square, about a half-minute walk away. "We could tell you all about our country and our culture, and what we do for Christmas here."

Olívia couldn't help but voice her own excitement about the festival. "Yeah, I love Christmas!" she said. "It's my favorite time of the year."

"Then let's go to the market, shall we?" said Juliana. Then she turned her attention back to the three Selkie. "What kind of foods do all of you like to eat?" she asked. "With all the different cuisines from around the world, there's sure to be something for everyone."

She had spotted the soldiers long before they had her, of course. Soldiers were an interesting lot...her brother was one, and he had seemed mostly just tired when coming home from Iraq. He quite a wealth of stories too...although he seemed to have some trouble sleeping now.
Annemarie nodded and smiled. "Good evening afternoon...my name is Annemarie. First time here...How are you both tonight today?"

"Good afternoon to you too, Annemarie," replied Santos. He had a slight accent and occasionally messed up the grammar, but otherwise his English was quite passable. "I'm currently doing mandatory service in the Portuguese Army. It can be very hard a lot of time, but now I have two weeks of leave for Christmas holiday. So I can relax and enjoy for bit."

"Yes, been tough day," added Pereira. The sergeant's English was noticeably worse than Santos's, and he had quite a pronounced accent, but it was still understandable. "Lots of paperwork for commander. But for Christmas I get break too, thank heaven. How was your day been?"

As the group drifted apart, Leonid wandered off in search of someone who could point him to the organisers of the festivities so that he could figure out when they were meant to be performing.

Roberto Miranda, Expo Park

An event of this scale called for equally high security. That's why many policemen were stationed in the Expo Square and around the entire park, including several wearing anti-riot gear. One of them was Roberto. This policeman didn't really want to be there, all dressed up in a bulletproof vest, wearing a helmet and carrying a semi-automatic rifle. It was a chilly 10 degrees, but he was sweating because of all the stuff he was wearing. Roberto wanted to spend Christmas with his family, not being a bouncer. In his mind, this job was a waste of time and labor. The Portuguese were a timid and obedient people for the most part, so riots were extremely rare. For Roberto, this meant he would likely be standing around and doing nothing, in that uncomfortable vest, every day for an entire two weeks. "I hate this," he grumbled under his breath.

Then, he noticed a man in a foreign uniform walk by, seemingly lost and needing directions. Roberto decided to go over and help this man with whatever he needed (it would surely be more exciting than standing there!). In an effort to appear more hospitable and less intimidating, he removed his helmet from his head so that his face could be seen. Then he approached Leonid.

"Welcome to the Fair, sir," he said in his friendliest voice. "My name is Roberto. It looked like you're not familiar with this place. Is there anything I can do for you sir? Perhaps some directions to what you're looking for?"

The rest of the Svadyetskan contingent splintered into small groups of friends, usually based around squads, for the infantry based army and PRGC, or assigned postings, for the policemen and navy troops. Vassili Sokolov found himself in a group with several of his comrades as well as Yuri, a policeman from Duovograd who didn't have any of his work colleagues to buddy up with. The brown police uniform didn't stick out too badly among Vassili and those of the group who had dress uniforms. The contrast was more apparent if Yuri stood next to anyone who had opted for the camouflage fatigues. Still, Vassili couldn't see why the ment couldn't tag along. Socialist fraternity and all that. Or whatever the thing that Comrade Boris, the political officer, kept banging on about.

Miguel Sousa, Expo Park

As riot policeman Roberto Miranda went to assist the leader of the Svadyetskan group, his colleague Miguel Sousa decided to engage a conversation with some of the other members. Unlike Roberto, Miguel was not wearing riot gear. Instead, he had his standard police uniform: a light blue suit with a dark tie and beret. And instead of a rifle, he had no firearm at all—only a baton, pair of handcuffs and pepper-spray. Walking up to Vassili and his comrades, Miguel gave them a straight-arm salute and introduced himself.

"Merry Christmas sirs! How are you all doing today? I am Miguel, and I work in the Portuguese National Police. Your uniforms are very nice—from what country?"

[Svadyetsk]

An event of this scale called for equally high security. That's why many policemen were stationed in the Expo Square and around the entire park, including several wearing anti-riot gear. One of them was Roberto. This policeman didn't really want to be there, all dressed up in a bulletproof vest, wearing a helmet and carrying a semi-automatic rifle. It was a chilly 10 degrees, but he was sweating because of all the stuff he was wearing. Roberto wanted to spend Christmas with his family, not being a bouncer. In his mind, this job was a waste of time and labor. The Portuguese were a timid and obedient people for the most part, so riots were extremely rare. For Roberto, this meant he would likely be standing around and doing nothing, in that uncomfortable vest, every day for an entire two weeks. "I hate this," he grumbled under his breath.

Then, he noticed a man in a foreign uniform walk by, seemingly lost and needing directions. Roberto decided to go over and help this man with whatever he needed (it would surely be more exciting than standing there!). In an effort to appear more hospitable and less intimidating, he removed his helmet from his head so that his face could be seen. Then he approached Leonid.

"Welcome to the Fair, sir," he said in his friendliest voice. "My name is Roberto. It looked like you're not familiar with this place. Is there anything I can do for you sir? Perhaps some directions to what you're looking for?"

'Da. I am lost.' Leonid looked around. 'I am the the artistic director of the Combined Army, Guards and Police National Choir and Musical Performance Ensemble of the United Soviet States of Svadyetsk-' Rather impressively, he could say the entire name without pausing for breath- 'And I am looking for the organisers of this event so that I can find out when my people are performing.'

Miguel Sousa, Expo Park

As riot policeman Roberto Miranda went to assist the leader of the Svadyetskan group, his colleague Miguel Sousa decided to engage a conversation with some of the other members. Unlike Roberto, Miguel was not wearing riot gear. Instead, he had his standard police uniform: a light blue suit with a dark tie and beret. And instead of a rifle, he had no firearm at all—only a baton, pair of handcuffs and pepper-spray. Walking up to Vassili and his comrades, Miguel gave them a straight-arm salute and introduced himself.

"Merry Christmas sirs! How are you all doing today? I am Miguel, and I work in the Portuguese National Police. Your uniforms are very nice—from what country?"

Vassili looked down at his drab olive-green uniform, which was rather plain except for his epaulettes and collar patches, which had squares of black tape over the hammer and sickle crests, and the single loop of red braid around his left shoulder which was part of the dress uniform of the People's Revolutionary Guards Corps. Then, he looked at the others, who were either dressed as he was or in the dark blue combat fatigues of the regular duty uniform, bar the policeman Yuri who was wearing the brown shirt, black trousers and black tie of the police forces with the winter-issue ushanka, also with black tape on it to cover the hat crest. Nice?

Nevertheless, Vassili, who ended up being appointed the group's spokesman after all of the others looked at him in response to Miguel's question, attempted to be polite. 'Thank you. We are from the United Soviet States of Svadyetsk. It is large country in the East. We were invited to perform at this Christmas festival thing.' Yuri coughed and adjusted his pilotka nervously. 'Apologies. We do not celebrate Christmas in our country. No religion, you see? Anyway, this time of year we have small holiday when people give little gifts to friends and family. It is like a little Christmas but we call it Universal Friendship Day. Big military parade, too.'

Meanwhile, Yuri had spent this exchange looking at his own uniform and Miguel's, comparing the police outfits of their respective countries.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

"Good afternoon to you too, Annemarie," replied Santos. He had a slight accent and occasionally messed up the grammar, but otherwise his English was quite passable. "I'm currently doing mandatory service in the Portuguese Army. It can be very hard a lot of time, but now I have two weeks of leave for Christmas holiday. So I can relax and enjoy for bit."

"Yes, been tough day," added Pereira. The sergeant's English was noticeably worse than Santos's, and he had quite a pronounced accent, but it was still understandable. "Lots of paperwork for commander. But for Christmas I get break too, thank heaven. How was your day been?"

As the group drifted apart, Leonid wandered off in search of someone who could point him to the organisers of the festivities so that he could figure out when they were meant to be performing.

Roberto Miranda, Expo Park

An event of this scale called for equally high security. That's why many policemen were stationed in the Expo Square and around the entire park, including several wearing anti-riot gear. One of them was Roberto. This policeman didn't really want to be there, all dressed up in a bulletproof vest, wearing a helmet and carrying a semi-automatic rifle. It was a chilly 10 degrees, but he was sweating because of all the stuff he was wearing. Roberto wanted to spend Christmas with his family, not being a bouncer. In his mind, this job was a waste of time and labor. The Portuguese were a timid and obedient people for the most part, so riots were extremely rare. For Roberto, this meant he would likely be standing around and doing nothing, in that uncomfortable vest, every day for an entire two weeks. "I hate this," he grumbled under his breath.

Then, he noticed a man in a foreign uniform walk by, seemingly lost and needing directions. Roberto decided to go over and help this man with whatever he needed (it would surely be more exciting than standing there!). In an effort to appear more hospitable and less intimidating, he removed his helmet from his head so that his face could be seen. Then he approached Leonid.

"Welcome to the Fair, sir," he said in his friendliest voice. "My name is Roberto. It looked like you're not familiar with this place. Is there anything I can do for you sir? Perhaps some directions to what you're looking for?"

The rest of the Svadyetskan contingent splintered into small groups of friends, usually based around squads, for the infantry based army and PRGC, or assigned postings, for the policemen and navy troops. Vassili Sokolov found himself in a group with several of his comrades as well as Yuri, a policeman from Duovograd who didn't have any of his work colleagues to buddy up with. The brown police uniform didn't stick out too badly among Vassili and those of the group who had dress uniforms. The contrast was more apparent if Yuri stood next to anyone who had opted for the camouflage fatigues. Still, Vassili couldn't see why the ment couldn't tag along. Socialist fraternity and all that. Or whatever the thing that Comrade Boris, the political officer, kept banging on about.

Miguel Sousa, Expo Park

As riot policeman Roberto Miranda went to assist the leader of the Svadyetskan group, his colleague Miguel Sousa decided to engage a conversation with some of the other members. Unlike Roberto, Miguel was not wearing riot gear. Instead, he had his standard police uniform: a light blue suit with a dark tie and beret. And instead of a rifle, he had no firearm at all—only a baton, pair of handcuffs and pepper-spray. Walking up to Vassili and his comrades, Miguel gave them a straight-arm salute and introduced himself.

"Merry Christmas sirs! How are you all doing today? I am Miguel, and I work in the Portuguese National Police. Your uniforms are very nice—from what country?"

Expo Square
The entrance of the Reichswehr was announced by horns and snare-drums.
In marched a full company of the Reichswehr-without their iconic wz. 1929 rifles or even sidearms, unfortunately. But they were still in full uniform, and had dress-swords at their sides. At the head of the column was the regimental band of the 18th Infantry Regiment and the color-guard. Two flags were carried-that of the Commonwealth, and that of the Regiment.

The latter was a detailed thing. Like all other regiments that lay within the Kingdom of Poland, the flag was a simple red cross on a white background. On both sides, the Eagle of Poland was placed in the center-below it, Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna embroidered on one side, 18. Pulk Piechoty - 1. Wielkopolska . Above it, several campaign streamers flew, indicating participation in the Napoleonic Wars, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War, both World Wars, and finally the Insurrection of 1993.

A few men shot hostile glares at the Svadyetskans as they passed, but most stared straight ahead, following the lead of their commander...who was, in fact, heading towards Roberto Miranda, in order to ask where the hell he should plop down a hundred and ten men.

---

Annemarie shrugged in response. "Not too shabby. Flight wasn't great, though. Had a ten-hour layover, plus some turbulence on the flight. Still, I'm alive and not in a coma, so I guess it was okay."

[Estado Novo Portugues]

'Da. I am lost.' Leonid looked around. 'I am the the artistic director of the Combined Army, Guards and Police National Choir and Musical Performance Ensemble of the United Soviet States of Svadyetsk-' Rather impressively, he could say the entire name without pausing for breath- 'And I am looking for the organisers of this event so that I can find out when my people are performing.'

"Impressive," said Roberto. "Are your members full-time musicians, or do they have regular duties when they're not performing? We have a little band of our own, but it's not a professional orchestra. It's formed by personnel of the Public Order Police, who do regular police work when they're not playing music at a special event."

"Anyway, the music festival doesn't start until the 26th. So in the meantime, you and your group will have two days free to do whatever you like. Perhaps you'd want to check in to the hotel first and leave all your instruments there? It's right over there, across that road." Roberto pointed towards a tall white building across the road from the Expo Square, projecting out into the water (the Lisbon Expo Park was built next to a river). The building had a quite futuristic look, somewhat resembling a spaceship from a science-fiction movie. At its top was a revolving restaurant and observation deck, shaped like a flying saucer.

"Every day, the market will be open," he said, pointing to the large pavillion next to the Expo Square. "There's food and gifts like crafts and toys. There are also events every day. Tonight at 7:00, there will be an opening ceremony in the stadium. You can't see it from here, but it's behind the market and looks like a large egg. And for Christmas Day tomorrow, at 10:00 there will be a military parade that goes through the whole park, and an air show."

Vassili looked down at his drab olive-green uniform, which was rather plain except for his epaulettes and collar patches, which had squares of black tape over the hammer and sickle crests, and the single loop of red braid around his left shoulder which was part of the dress uniform of the People's Revolutionary Guards Corps. Then, he looked at the others, who were either dressed as he was or in the dark blue combat fatigues of the regular duty uniform, bar the policeman Yuri who was wearing the brown shirt, black trousers and black tie of the police forces with the winter-issue ushanka, also with black tape on it to cover the hat crest. Nice?

Nevertheless, Vassili, who ended up being appointed the group's spokesman after all of the others looked at him in response to Miguel's question, attempted to be polite. 'Thank you. We are from the United Soviet States of Svadyetsk. It is large country in the East. We were invited to perform at this Christmas festival thing.' Yuri coughed and adjusted his pilotka nervously. 'Apologies. We do not celebrate Christmas in our country. No religion, you see? Anyway, this time of year we have small holiday when people give little gifts to friends and family. It is like a little Christmas but we call it Universal Friendship Day. Big military parade, too.'

Meanwhile, Yuri had spent this exchange looking at his own uniform and Miguel's, comparing the police outfits of their respective countries.

"Military parades? Well, we have one too. It starts from here tomorrow at 10:00, but if you want a good view, I suggest you get here an hour early. There's also going to be an air show performed by the Portuguese Air Force in their newest fighter jets."

Expo Square
The entrance of the Reichswehr was announced by horns and snare-drums.
In marched a full company of the Reichswehr-without their iconic wz. 1929 rifles or even sidearms, unfortunately. But they were still in full uniform, and had dress-swords at their sides. At the head of the column was the regimental band of the 18th Infantry Regiment and the color-guard. Two flags were carried-that of the Commonwealth, and that of the Regiment.

The latter was a detailed thing. Like all other regiments that lay within the Kingdom of Poland, the flag was a simple red cross on a white background. On both sides, the Eagle of Poland was placed in the center-below it, Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna embroidered on one side, 18. Pulk Piechoty - 1. Wielkopolska . Above it, several campaign streamers flew, indicating participation in the Napoleonic Wars, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War, both World Wars, and finally the Insurrection of 1993.

A few men shot hostile glares at the Svadyetskans as they passed, but most stared straight ahead, following the lead of their commander...who was, in fact, heading towards Roberto Miranda, in order to ask where the hell he should plop down a hundred and ten men.

The arrival of the Svadyetskans was followed by the arrival of another group, just as large and also in uniform. Unlike the former, Roberto immediately recognized who they were: their banners and insignia gave them away as a Prussian-Polish military unit. Prussia-Poland and Portugal had quite a lot of similarities as traditional Catholic nations. And while relations between the two weren't the best (due to Portugal being more authoritarian), they both shared a common hate for liberalism and communism. In addition, the Portuguese looked up to the Prussian-Polish for their military prowess, often imitating their traditions like the goose-step.

"Merry Christmas, gentlemen," he greeted the soldiers. "I suppose you're all here to perform in the music festival? That doesn't begin until the 26th, so today and tomorrow you have free time to go out and enjoy the fair. The food market is right next to you in that pavilion. It is open every day. If you want to check in to your hotel, it is the tall white building across the road in front of the water. Our opening ceremony is tonight at 7:00, in the stadium past the market pavilion. And tomorrow morning at 10:00, there is a military parade and air show here. Arrive early if you want a good view."

Annemarie shrugged in response. "Not too shabby. Flight wasn't great, though. Had a ten-hour layover, plus some turbulence on the flight. Still, I'm alive and not in a coma, so I guess it was okay."

"Glad you got here safe," said Santos. "Is this your first time in Portugal? I am interested, what brings you here?"

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

(WATCH THIS SPACE-I'LL MAKE A POST SOON)